Donald Sutherland Persuaded Gary Ross To Let Him Play President Snow

We love how ‘The Hunger Games’ cast is made up of people who are truly interested in the roles. Entertainment Weekly revealed well respected and award winning actor, Donald Sutherland, actually sent an email to ‘The Hunger Games’ director Gary Ross with “a long thoughtful analysis of the way power is wielded and why, how it controls people and what the use of the Games were and how pernicious they were and the way that they were used as an instrument of political control.”

Donald Sutherland as President Coriolanus Snow

Gary Ross went on to explain what he thought of the email as well as how Donald Sutherland has inspired him to write two additional scenes into ‘The Hunger Games’ movie.

“It was so eloquent and brilliant,” continues Ross, “that it actually inspired me to write two extra scenes for him that I think are pivotal in the movie and that Suzanne really loves.” Ross was already shooting in Asheville, NC when he received the actor’s missive. While on break he remembers wandering down to a clearing by the edge of a lake to ruminate over Sutherland’s ideas. “So I sat down in this chair and stared at the lake and came up with these two scenes,” he says. “And I realized that not only were the scenes vital but they actually fit a piece that was missing. That was a gift I got from the actor.”

SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! In this first installment of the film trilogy, Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen and Sutherland’s Snow really only have one scene together. But Ross says to prepare for a doozy. “It’s only when she’s crowned that they confront one another and it’s very electric.”

We are certainly excited to see the additional scenes on the big screen!